Nadal beats Verdasco and Federer to meet Djokovic

By Paul Virgo

ROME (Reuters) - Top seed Rafael Nadal overcame fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-3 at the Rome Masters on Friday while Roger Federer beat German qualifier Mischa Zverev 7-6 6-2 to book a semi-final with holder Novak Djokovic.

Serb Djokovic eased through with a 6-3 6-4 triumph over Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro.

Nadal next faces Chilean 12th seed Fernando Gonzalez, a 2-6 6-3 6-4 winner over Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco.

Sixth seed Verdasco, who pushed Nadal hard in a five-setter at this year's Australian Open, was on level terms after an exchange of breaks in the first two games.

The world number one over-hit a number of shots but could not be budged off his serve again, pulling off a couple of sublime lobs as he found his rhythm to take the first set.

It was tight in the second set too until the eighth game when Nadal broke again after Verdasco hit an easy backhand volley wide at the net.

"I didn't play my best," Nadal told a news conference after he had saved five break points in the second set.

"I made some mistakes especially in the second set. I was a little bit lucky (because) he made mistakes on some important points."